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“I have to remindPusha T that he is Pusha T,” Kanye West recently informed Zane Lowe in their now infamous interview. “On the radio, if they’re not playing a song of his that has an R&B singer on, it’s like we forget about that Clipse album that meant everything.”

One of the most consistent rappers period, Pusha hasn’t dropped a subpar verse since he and his brother recorded their unreleased debut ‘Exclusive Audio Footage’ back in ’97. Therefore, following the duo’s hiatus, Pusha’s debut studio solo album under Kanye’s G.O.O.D. Music imprint has been a highly anticipated one.

While the tracklist does seem more feature heavy than fans of ‘Numbers On The Boards’ might have hoped, Pusha is easily the star here and not a supporting cast member as we’ve seen him so many times over the past few years.

Tracks like his Ma$e-channelling ‘Let Me Love You’, featuring Kelly Rowland, go against Kanye’s statement, and the Young Jeezy- and Kevin Cossom-assisted ‘No Regrets’ feels like it would be better fitted to one of Pusha’s ‘Fear Of God’ mixtapes.

The Virginia native really shines when things are kept simple. Spitting drug-dealer slang over the no-nonsense of ‘Numbers On The Boards (video below)’, trading verses with Kendrick Lamar on ‘Nosetalgia’ and introducing the record with the ‘Yeezus’-influenced ‘King Push’, all showcase Pusha at his unadulterated finest.

The strengths of ‘My Name Is My Name’ vastly outweigh its minor faults, and Pusha’s studio debut finds itself easily nestled into the year’s top five rap releases.